Description

Gadwalls range in size from 18 to 22 inches long and 1 to 2½ pounds in weight, with both sexes being about the same size. Males and females look very much alike most of the year, with generally drab plumage lacking distinctive markings. A white speculum is the most distinctive marking on a gadwall, but it is only visible when the bird is in flight.

During the breeding season the male's plumage becomes grayish with distinct vermiculation on the scapular and back feathers, the head turns brown, and the upper and lower tail covers turn black. The most distinguishing features of a male during this period are its long, acutely-pointed, silver-gray tertial feathers.

Distribution and Habitat

Gadwalls winter from southern Mexico and Guatemala to coastal Alaska, the Atlantic and Gulf coast regions of the United States, and many areas in between. Their summer breeding grounds range from the Atlantic coast of Canada to the far northwestern coast of Alaska, with the largest concentrations being found in the prairie pot-hole region of sout